Whimsy rests

And similar these late-night hours
the silence out there now
with solar-captured radiance
lighting there the bough
My window looks down to this scene
as to slumber most resign
yet for a moment whimsy rests
upon this view sublime

©Jemverse

Photo – Jempics

The quietning time

These early mornings
I’ll attest
are good for me
the very best
The gentle rain
just after dawn
with still the air
of new day born
And solitude
where here about
a whisper sounds
just like a shout
I relish this
the quietning time
as it is almost
wholly mine

©Jemverse

Photo – Jempics

A haiku for Sunday

Quality of life
seized in every moment of
this Sunday of rest

©Jemverse

Picture – ‘Half Moon Bridge’ by Yoshida Toshi (1940)

Serendipity

I found myself writing
About somewhere I’d been
And all of the wonderful
Things there I’d seen
The joy and the richness
Of life beyond measure
Captured and held just
Like having treasure
It was special and wholesome
With comfort and ease
To serve as assurance
Unrest to appease
So I drifted away for
A moment to where
I knew that contentment
With pleasure to share
And held on to the wisdom
From this memory
For a moment akin
To serendipity

©Jemverse

Photo – Jempics

The constant sea

These wanders here each evening
when the night’s about to fall
are I think the moments
which we will most recall
When this madness is all over
and we find ourselves again
with whatever becomes normal
and whatever still remains

For there’s one thing here that’s certain
the constant of the sea
which no matter what else changes
will still and always be
So we treasure all our wanders
by the sea in these strange days
for they bring a sense of freedom
and respite from the malaise

©Jemverse

Photo – Jempics

An unexpected tricycle ride

11 of 12 in ‘The Adriatic Affair’ series from Jemverse

Mario on his tricycle
caught us with his grin
Charmed us so much that we
agreed to go with him

Took us up through Marjan Park
round the headland of the bay
Showed us lots of things that
we’d have never seen today

The peace up in the forest
with pine fragrance in the air
was absolutely lovely
so we’re pleased he took us there

Showed us castles built into the rock
high up above the trees
as we caught glimpses here and there
of peaceful flat-calm seas

Then via Kasjuni beaches
Mario brought us back around
safely on his tricycle
to the walls of the old town

And shaking hands we parted
Split company you could say
(A play on words permitted
for this poem here today)

©Jemverse

Photo – lookout castles built into the rock, Split, Croatia – Jempics

[‘An unexpected tricycle ride’ is the penultimate of twelve poems capturing our autumn 2019 ‘Adriatic Affair’ cruise aboard the Marella Celebration. From 24 through 31 October we visited…
24/10 – Dubrovnik, Croatia (‘Finding Summer’ (02/11) and ‘Dubrovnik Divine’ (03/11))
25/10 – Hvar, Croatia (‘Hvar’ (04/11) and ‘Hoorah for Hvar’ (05/11))
26/10 – Ancona, Italy (‘Ancona Encore’ (06/11) and ‘Ancona II’ (07/11))
27/10 – Koper, Slovenia (‘Koper’ (08/11))
28/10 – Venice, Italy (‘Venice (touch & go)’ (09/11) and ‘Venice II’ (10/11))
29/10 – Rijeka, Croatia (‘Rijeka’ (11/11)), and
30/10 – Split, Croatia (‘An unexpected tricycle ride’ (12/11) and ‘Split II’ (13/11))
…before sailing back into Dubrovnik for the flight home on the 31st]

Inner soul singing

Many years have I sat here
alone in the sun
from early in morning
until day is done
I have sea and the seagulls
kite surfers and more
the sun and the view
which I love and adore

And yes times have changed
the years see to that
but I don’t have a problem
with that as a fact
For it’s all part of life
and one lived to the full
encouraged I’d say
by this beach and its pull

For it draws and it beckons
me back to its wings
and when I am here
my inner soul sings
There’s a ‘je ne sais quoi’
just something that is
that brings me a peace
which borders on bliss

©Jemverse

Photo – Jempics

The beach is a birthday

At the beach hut on my birthday
(I was sixty yesterday)
And whilst not exactly sunny
It was perfect anyway
The sea was like a diamond
Flat calm, a lovely sight
Mirror-like, reflecting
the sky above so bright

There were rain clouds over Worthing
out there to the west
But also really peaceful
in this place I love the best
Besides, I had a brolly
and with clearer sky behind
even when the raindrops fell
I really didn’t mind

The beach it is a birthday
and come most every year
I’ll do my level best to come
as it’s always lovely here
Yesterday it was so tranquil
with no one else around
Just me, the beach and seagulls
and the calming ocean sound

©Jemverse

Photo – Jempics

The echo of life I

If a brook gurgles
and a low tide laps
If a breeze whispers
and a sunset smiles
Then I am the echo of life
Reflecting beauty
I bring contentment

©Jemverse

Photo – Jempics

The Long House

5 of 8 in the Jemverse series ‘Circular Sussex’

In the garden out back of the Long House
sitting out here in the sun
The fragrance of jasmine strong in the air
now the early evening has come

It’s peaceful here and idyllic
and I’m so pleased we could return
Here in the East Meon valley
contentment swift to discern

©Jemverse

Photo – The ‘Long House’, East Meon, Hampshire, UK – Jempics.

[Every year in May, my brother Dave and I go out for a week’s walking. This year we took in a series of circular walks based around our favourite long-distance trail – the South Downs Way through Hampshire and Sussex]